Crush Your Opponents in Pickleball to Support Foster Care Advocacy

The sport of pickleball has come a long way. Even some hardcore players may not be aware of its Pacific Northwestern past.

The sport was created in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, a ferry ride away from Seattle, and came to exist as something of an athletic hybrid: a mix of tennis and badminton, played with a wiffleball and short paddles.

Humble backyard beginnings turned into the fastest-growing sport in America, per the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. Although “humble” might be the wrong word, considering that the sport’s inventor went on to serve in Congress and become Washington’s Lieutenant Governor.

Pickleball offers fast-paced, fun exercise that can get surprisingly intense. The upcoming Courtside for CASA Pickleball Classic is your chance to become a champ while supporting foster kids in the process.

This March 2026 event, hosted by The Premier Pickleball Club in Redmond, will be the second annual tournament held to benefit the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Central Oregon.

CASA assigns trained volunteers to foster children in Deschutes, Jefferson, or Crook County. According to CASA of Central Oregon Executive Director Heather Dion, these volunteers keep tabs on home situations, are sworn in as officers of the court when a judge reviews their child’s case and appear “wherever else the child needs advocacy” to provide a helping hand.

“Volunteers make a commitment to be a consistent adult for as long as their [assigned child] is in foster care,” Dion said. “In Central Oregon, that’s an average of two years.”

Dion stressed the program’s importance. “We know that when a child has a CASA, the CASA has an impact,” she told the Source. “National studies show that children with CASAs do better in school, and they’re more likely to be connected to services. When they leave foster care, it’s more likely their case stays closed.”

The 2025 inaugural tournament was a “wonderful success,” Dion said, with around 200 contestants. A similar number is expected this year, but the competition will look a little different. Dion explained that a “social bracket” will be available on day one, for “folks that haven’t participated in a tourney before… more of a fun thing for casual, newer players.”

But for those craving pickleball glory, the singles and doubles brackets will remain as competitive as ever. Plus, Dion said that bracket winners “will each get a medal, and the first-place winners get a free 15-minute head and neck massage by Spine and Body Co.”

Half of the money raised from registration fees will go to CASA of Central Oregon, which stated that those funds will help with training and supporting new volunteers. Early bird tournament registration ends Dec. 31.

This article appears in the Source December 25, 2025.